KABUL: The Afghan Taliban said on Monday that they have ordered their fighters to attack anyone helping organizing the upcoming presidential election in the war-torn country.
The Afghan presidential election will be held on April 5, but Hamid Karzai, who has ruled the country since the Taliban’s overthrow in 2001, is barred from seeking a third term.
“We have given orders to all our mujahideen to use all force at their disposal to disrupt these upcoming sham elections – to target all workers, activists, callers, security apparatus and offices,” the Taliban said in a statement issued on Monday.
“It is the religious obligation of every Afghan to fulfill their duty by foiling the latest plot of the invaders that is guised in the garb of elections,” the statement said.
The statement said that “We once again call on all of our countrymen to keep away from electoral offices, voting booths, rallies and campaigns so that may Allah forbid, their lives are not put into danger.”
“If anyone still persist in participating then they are solely responsible for any loss in the future,” it added.
The previous Afghan presidential election in 2009 was marred by a wave of violence, with almost 60 civilians and soldiers killed on the polling day alone.
